1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a refrigerator improved in the structure and the control method of a sensor sensing a temperature of a chamber thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a refrigerator is an apparatus which can maintain freshness of food by keeping a chamber at a predetermined cooling temperature, preventing the food from being spoiled. A kimchi refrigerator is also known as a kind of refrigerator, capable of exclusively preserving food such as kimchi, etc. requiring ripening and cooling.
Even if there are various kinds of refrigerators, they have a sensor sensing a temperature of a chamber and a controller controlling them based on the sensed temperature in common, in order to keep the chamber at a predetermined set up temperature.
Descriptions will be made hereinbelow with respect to a kimchi refrigerator equipped with the function of cooling and ripening by way of example.
FIG. 7 is a side sectional view of a conventional kimchi refrigerator. As shown therein, the kimchi refrigerator is comprised of an outer casing 110 forming an outward appearance and an inner casing 120 forming a chamber 111. There is formed a space to be filled with a foaming material between the outer casing 110 and the inner casing 120. Below the chamber 111 is provided a component chamber 113.
In the space to be filled with the foaming material, which is positioned between the outer casing 110 and the inner casing 120, are installed an evaporator pipe 115 and a heater 117, to surround the inner casing 120. In the component chamber 113 are accommodated a compressor 1 14 supplying a refrigerant to an evaporator (not shown), etc.
Further, in the space to be filled with the foaming material, which is positioned between the outer casing 110 and the inner casing 120, is provided a sensor 119 sensing an inner temperature of the chamber 111 and transmitting information of the sensed temperature to a controller (not shown). The temperature sensor 119 is contacting with an outer surface of the inner casing 120 so as to sense the temperature of the chamber 111.
In this conventional kimchi refrigerator, because the temperature sensor is contacting with the outer surface of the inner casing 120 in the space for the foaming material, it is difficult to sense a real temperature inside the chamber 111, and to react promptly to a variation of the inner temperature thereof.
That is, because the temperature sensor senses the temperature of the outer surface of the inner casing to which heat from the evaporator pipe and the heater is directly transferred, a difference between a real temperature inside the chamber and the sensed surface temperature of the inner casing is created. Moreover, where a temperature is changed, for example, by adding new food to the chamber, it takes some time for the changed temperature inside the chamber to affect the temperature of the surface of the inner casing, and therefore, the temperature is neither promptly sensed by the sensor nor controlled by the controller.
In addition, because the sensor is installed in the space for the foaming material between the outer casing and the inner casing, it is impossible to repair or to replace the sensor when the sensor is out of order.